Monday, February 2, 2015

My Setubun "節分” post this year again;

Wishing "Demons out! Luck in!" on Feb. 3rd. Setsubun 節分,
(節分"Setubun" Bean-Throwing Festival or Bean-Throwing Ceremony) is the day before the beginning of spring. The two characters literally mean "seasonal division". We also have another term called "Risshun (立春)" celebrated yearly on February 3 as part of the Spring Festival (春祭 haru matsuri). 
In its association with the Lunar New YearSpring Setsubun can be and was previously thought of as a sort of New Year's Eve, and so was accompanied by a special ritual to cleanse away all the evil of the former year and drive away disease-bringing evil spirits for the year to come. This special ritual is called mamemaki (豆撒き, literally "bean throwing").

*恵方巻き Good Fortune Sushi Rolls*
Eho-maki (fortune rolls), like the ones in the picture above, are called futo-maki (thick sushi rolls) eaten on the night of Setsubun. 
To be related with the Seven Deities of Good Fortune called Shichifukujin, seven fillings are traditionally rolled in a sushi roll. For example, simmered shiitake mushrooms and kanpyo (dried gourd), cucumber, rolled omelet (tamagoyaki), eels, sakura denbu (sweet fish powder), and seasoned koyadofu (freeze-dried tofu) are used. These ingredients represent good health, happiness, and prosperity, and rolling the fillings means good fortune.

*At temples and shrines*
At temples and shrines, bean trowing ceremonies are held. The video below is from last year at a temple in Chiba-pref. Sometimes TV talents or celebrities are invited. You can see the sumo wrestlers in the picture.  Eating beans on this day means you'll have "No sickness No misfortune".  Usually we eat beans with same number of our age or one more, whew lots of them for me :-)

Video from last year. 

                    Thank you very much for your precious time stopping by;
Quick post revising former post.



6 comments:

  1. i hope all the evils will stay away from you and your husband and you will have much peace and prosperity for the new year ahead! :)

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  2. Dearest Miyako,
    Hope this will really be a tranquil and peaceful happy year for you both!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  3. This post is so interesting! Thank you for writing about your celebrations and customs. Wishing you happiness for the new year.

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  4. Dear Miyako, thank you so much for sharing this fascinating post. I wish you only the best for 2015...and always.

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  5. very interesting! Love to read these posts.

    All the best for you for the new year.

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  6. Wishing you a joyous day and a perfect year with no troubles at all.

    (I am going to make bean soup today; I hope there are at least 75 beans in each of our servings ;>)!

    It interests me to know that Spring starts tomorrow for you! I always thought it would be the same date as for us (which is March 20). I wonder why this is? I am going to do some research on this!

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